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52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Young love in a gentler age..., April 16, 2002
National stardom for The Fleetwoods exactly paralleled my own high school career, 1959-62. The two girls and the guy, Gretchen, Barbara and Gary, started their vocal trio when seniors themselves in '58. It was a more innocent time, at least as concerns teen and young adult love relationships. There was no birth control pill, sex before marriage was risky and firmly discouraged, alcohol and tobacco were the only drugs anyone had experience with. Cohabitation was unheard of, divorce was disreputable, STD's only happened to people you did not care to know. Elvis was the musical "bad boy" of the era, if those born after 1960 can imagine that. The Fleetwoods had two great hits, "Come Softly To Me" and "Mr. Blue". They are ballads of love found and love lost, and all the other 25 or so numbers on this CD fit inbetween them. As a freshman, I liked the two hits, but I spent my music budget on Buddy Holly and the Kingston Trio. Now, rapidly approaching something called retirement age, I can afford to have that Fleetwoods album I almost bought for $2.98 in 1960. I thought it might be too bland even for me, but I discovered that this collection is a great stress-reliever, and holds up well when played repeatedly. The harmonies are wonderful, and some fine songs are included. The trio's version of "Unchained Melody" is done without accompaniment, to powerful effect. "Skylark" and "Tragedy" and "Lavender Blue" and "Gone" were hits for others, and are done well here. "Goodnight My Love" and "What'll I Do" are wonderful. The Fleetwoods were pop balladeers in the golden age of rock 'n roll, but they never lost their youthful attitude toward these mostly mellow works. Listen to the samples on Amazon, and if you like the snippets you'll love the whole shebang. I wouldn't want American recording history to offer nothing but The Fleetwoods anymore than I want the industry to sell nothing but gangsta' rap. There is room for both. This CD is a solid hour of pleasant singing that is great in the background as you drive or dust or whatever.
Before Vietnam, or hippies, or pot, or political assassinations, we had dates, proms, graduations, love that worked and love that failed. The Fleetwoods were worthy of their fame, and if you think they are uncool, your musical taste is just too narrow.
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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Rolls-Royce of Fleetwood Collections, January 17, 2000
The Fleetwoods' beautiful harmonies didn't stem from country or bluegrass (like the Everlys did) or from the black church (like so many doo-wop groups of the period). Their gentle musical interplay updated what groups like the Pied Pipers did years before, with a touch of folk harmony mixed in. (Listen for proof to "Outside My Window," which the folk-rock Mamas & Papas remade years later as "Look Out My Window.")The results are beautiful, even more so through excellent CD remastering. The acapella "Unchained Melody" here is the sweetest, least pompous version of that song ever recorded. The hits are here, with lead vocalist Gary Troxal playing Little Boy Blue on "Mr. Blue," "Come Softly To Me," (both #1s), the touching "Tragedy" (which sounded as if it were recorded on a beach at night), fine, whole versions of Ferlin Husky's "Gone" and of two standards, "Skylark" and "What'll I Do." The background music gets louder (and CD weaker) near the end, but still this is THE definitive Fleetwoods collection.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
EVEN BETTER THAN I'D EXPECTED!, December 15, 1999
In my review of the group's "Greatest Hits" CD (only10 tracks), I expressed a concern over wearing it out. Fortunately,this new one, "Very Best Of The Fleetwoods," arrived before the destruction was complete. And it was worth the wait! This collection is an absolute MUST for anyone even remotely aroused by the beautiful harmony and lyrics performed by The Fleetwoods. The accompanying booklet is virtually worth the price of the CD alone...I was impressed with the "A Capella" version of Unchained Melody, but I wasn't prepared for the exquisite beauty of Come Softly To Me and Mr. Blue presented here without musical accompanyment. Most fans are not aware that many of the group's hits were recorded "A Capella" in Seattle and instrumentals were laid down over the tracks in Los Angeles at a later date. The "A Capella" track of "Come Softly..." is highlighted by the unobtrusive jingling of Gary's keys, which he jingled in his pockets during the taping in order to maintain the tempo. This is a CD that should reside in the music library of any true fan of The Fleetwoods.
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~ Fleetwoods
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by The Fleetwoods 
